THINKING, THINKING, THINKING.

A computer is a computer. A computer is not a person. When it is busy the computer needs a way to tell the user to hold on a sec. Think about it -- people would get terribly irritable and impatient without knowing that the computer is "thinking" or "working" and not just frozen. There has always been a need for us to actually see the computer in thought (hmm) and thus we have a niche of cursor/icon design. Windows icons are, well, pretty damn lackluster so they have been excluded from the above comparison.

The famous stopwatch was designed by Susan Kare in 1983 and is interesting because when Windows rolled out with their standard "hold on a minute" icon it was not a watch, but an hourglass/sand timer. On the surface it makes sense to use an image of a recognizable icon that is used to measure time. Apple's version, however, is of a watch with a face shape that looks digital; a digital watch is a new invention and is electronic. How humorously typical is it, then, that Windows comes up with a icon of a device that was invented in the third century. Which company seems more forward thinking?

The evolution of the "hold on a minute" icon is interesting, as you can chart the trends in design: two-dimensional flat art followed by a leap to an exaggerated, three-dimensional gradient "beachball" (or "marble" as it's sometimes called; some simply call it "uh oh"). This reveals not just the short period in which graphic design capabilities evolved, but shows that designers were very excited about being able to have such a realistic image on a screen. Then again, everyone loves shiny objects.

If you take a look at the last three icons they are all gradient designs, albeit with more subtle and understated gradients than the beachball. Another shared trait is the round shape, which is pretty easy to explain: a circle is one of simplest forms and psychologically round forms are pleasing to look at so if you're waiting, you might not get as angry as you may with an hourglass or stopwatch. Also, there is something elegant in the minimalism of a circle whereas realistic representations are very detailed and, dare we say, bourgeoise. Being confined to such a small box to think inside of means creativity, which gives us Apple's hash marks, YouTube's miniature circles, and Carbonmade's thick line. This is very detailed observation, but each relies on mimicking light, which is kind of odd since a computer screen functions from and already is using light. It becomes light on light.

Or maybe I'm overthinking it.

BIRD ON WIRE

Ahmed, Salman. Birds. c. 2009

There is a very frail yet vibrant quality to this photograph of birds on a wire. The beauty may lie in the delicate nature of the composition. The contrast is stark, for there is much light and little dark and what little dark colour is present is composed of birds that are mere dots of black when viewing from afar and barely recognizable as birds when viewing up close. The interplay of scale makes this composition fun to look at, quite honestly. Luckily for the photographer much uniformity is achieved since almost each bird happens to be facing forward; this makes the forms similar and accounts for the obscure appearance from a distanced perspective.

Something else makes this photograph very pleasing to the eye: the diagonally horizontal wires split the photograph into three sections, however the upper most section just happens to be -- when the area of each space is visually averaged -- proportionate to the bottom two sections so that it is 50% of the space while the middle and bottom sections are each 25%.

Another thing. This photograph would not be striking without the five birds in flight. Why? They give it a great amount of balance that helps direct the eye to the middle of the wire. The amount or weight of black of the two birds on the left is equivalebt to the weight of the three smaller and lighter birds on the right. And they do help establish the subject matter as birds.

FRIDAY CAT BLOGGING

AGNOLOTTI, FONTINA, WINE AND SEWER RATS

Buitoni has an OOH campaign running in the 14th Street Union Square subway station right now. Yes, that's right -- a company is advertising food in one of the dirtiest places in the city. Images of delicious "masterpiece" dishes of artfully composed ravioli and fettucini are pasted on walls that are caked with filth and are adjacent to garbage cans, trash and peeling paint. Yum.

The idea of showing how Buitoni's pasta, sauce and cheese products can come together to look beautiful and appetizing is good. Such a benefit is believable and it's good to see how, when done right, these already prepared dishes can transform into meals that look like they were yanked from Giorgione's kitchen.

It seems, however, that the reasons why the media planners chose this location to place the ads were far too left-brained: the reach (tons of commuters every day), the proximity to a point of purchase (Food Emporium), and the dimensions and variety of available media (big walls, turnstiles, etc.). If you look at the shot above of the six dishes arranged horizontally on the beam above the L, there is rust, dirt and peeling paint. I'm sorry, but my mind is not getting in the hungry mood and I'm distracted by the unsightly surroundings. My memory may retain the idea of "Buitoni" but that idea is not connected to hunger so I don't retain it as well. A simple product shot and logo could have done that in lieu of this faux museum.

The actual campaign -- food as art -- is a tired one and is a waste of an idea to get across the concept that food can look artfully good and is therefore delicious. Perhaps an in-store placement would have been a far better way to reach consumers since it's clear the proximity of Food Emporium upstairs was the reason why they chose this subway station. I'm definitely not going to pause in my commute -- New Yorkers do not stroll or meander through subway stations -- to read a fake museum card talking about the ingredients of a pasta dish, let alone write the phone number down (which I can't dial from my BlackBerry anyway because the letters don't match up with the numbers) and call it from an underground location where I can't get phone service. I called the number -- for the purposes of this critique -- and discovered that you hear a brief museum-like explanation of the "art" you're looking at and you continue to dial the number associated with the piece of "art" you're facing. It's not that big of a pay off, but it makes the campaign 360. And that's all that matters so woo-hoo.

I don't think everyone corralled behind this as a brilliant idea. Rather, I think the client needed something and cut back on spend so that a good smart idea could not have been reached. Instead of creative concepting, the budget clearly went entirely to media.

FRIDAY CAT BLOGGING

AMAZON KINDLE

Amazon's Kindle2 device is a great idea, at least if you're not on a beach. While there are many benefits to printed books (eventual library donation; no need for charging or a wireless network; no need for a protective case), the idea of having a book or magazine on demand is good.

While I doubt Amazon is pulling an "Apple" -- that is, rolling out new devices even though you already have better, more modern looking designs in existence -- they are clearly trying to capitalize on the clean, white Apple aesthetic. Only, the Amazon folks could have made a few changes (left; Ja!'s rendering) for a more modern, slick device rather than the clunker they have now (right). The ratio of the current white border around the screen is not even and it is much too thick, dwarfing the screen, which should be the focus. Another problem is the awkward size of the device. By scaling the overall size down 30% or so Amazon could offer a device more like the average size of a paperback that has an even larger screen than the current Kindle. Even the newer model, Kindle DX, seems unwieldy and too large in height/width despite its lithe appearance. I know it certainly will not fit in the average woman's handbag. Reminds me of a Newton. Remember those? No? Exactly.

And am I the only one who likes and appreciates book cover design?

ANYONE HAVE A MATCH?

Fire extinguishers by Fire Design.

Nothing is immune from good design. And now more than ever good design is not only expected, but required. Get your Illustrator on.

Also, this is a great branding piece for a design company that seems to say, "we can make anything look beautiful."

NOT VERY KOSH

Bacon, Francis. Head VI, 1949. Oil on canvas, 36x30 in.

Francis Bacon: juvenile histrionic extremist?

(Although the decision to paint meat as your subject matter is very cool and a welcome alternative to fruit and flowers.)

THROUGH THE YEARS: THE HUFFINGTON POST

The overall changes to The Huffington Post web site since its inauguration in May 2005 have been subtle, but those minute details are pretty telling as to the ways in which we consume online news.


2005
• Overall very simple and to the point with a clunky, albeit minimal header.
• Pleasing 1/3 column widths. Almost.
• Doodles throughout the site underscore the connection to cartoons found in print newspapers and hearken back to the "handmade" nature of newspapers.
• Colour palette of green, white, black, orange with a very distinctive colour green not found in competitors.
• Just the date on the upper right corner, which again is like a print newspaper. What's funny is that the use of a date on a newspaper serves to mark the day the news is printed; here you know what day it is when you're surfing on huffingtonpost.com and since news is so instant, there's really no need for a date. Ah, nostalgia. Anyway, there is a clear need to maintain a close visual connection with print newspapers.
• Comments are attached to every story to emphasize the cool connectedness of the internets.


2006
• Check out the header. We get animated cartoon stars, again hearkening back to the doodles of printed newspapers, but with the added benefit of being animated thanks to the glory of the web. The typeface is still squat and the tracking is too loose, but at least the design folks are remaining consistent.
• The menu system directly under the header looks more like that of a typical web site. But it is 2006 and the idea of rollover buttons separated by hairlines is pretty slick.
• Let there be search! There is a lot of information on this site and people want to dig in to the archives or at least be able to find something relevant that's not necessarily on the front page.
• Note that the search button is in Apple's visual identity and is simple. Also, having a drop shadow calls it out.


2007
• Arguably the best and most mature design of the bunch, as the header is clean and balanced without any upper clutter. The typeface has been refined to become authoritative and larger, and more akin to the proportions of a printed newspaper like The Washington Post.
• "Top News and Opinion" looks great as the tagline and the delicate gray doesn't detract from the green title, but rather works in tandem with the horizontal hair line and helps anchor the entirety of the header and menu system.
• Who needs a button to call out that something is clickable when it is now expected that everything on the internet is clickable.
• Enter the blogosphere. On the top right of the main menu "All Blogs" now has real estate.


2009
• Overall it seems like there is a direct correlation between the amount of information out there on the internet and the amount of buttons, links, bells, whistles etc. on the HuffPo home page.
• The header is getting weighed down by the "Big News" menu, which is helpful in identifying the hot news keywords of the moment. It is certainly more compact than a damn word cloud, but it does cut into the brand identity and makes the header top-heavy.
• HuffPo comes into its own with a firm position and statement to stick it to the printed guys: "The Internet Newspaper: News Blogs Video Community"
• We get a news ticker underneath the double-decker main menu, which looks good and has a good function, but could perhaps be replaced by the "Big News" hot key words since there is too much going on up here.
• The search button has returned and now has a more subtle appearance. Google is roped in for credibility.
• Part of me wishes there was a big, bold news story headline on the top left of the first column -- instead of the goofy quote -- to make my eye go somewhere in the news section. As it is, everything blurs together in equal weight.
• Stressing user involvement, the date is now sharing space with "Log In" and "Sign Up" since it's not just the newspaper for June 14, 2009 but your newspaper for June 14, 2009.

BLUE AND ORANGE

Deplorable.

FRIDAY CAT BLOGGING

BELVEDERE VODKA'S LATEST SHOT

I don't really care that luxury has apparently been reborn. I do care that the use of the word "macerate" in Belvedere vodka's new campaign is a really smart choice.

So many vodka brands when trying to describe flavoured vodkas stick with common descriptions such as "infused", "blended", or "distilled", all of which are not colourful enough to really enable consumers to picture actual fruit. When you have a clear vodka as your product it's difficult to reference real fruit since the product you're showing does not look like it has real fruit due to the lack of the actual colour of fruit juice. Therefore, there is a built-in stigma of artificial flavouring. As such, when told that real fruit has been paired with the vodka, many consumers cry bullshit. At least the ones who care (aka the luxury market).

Belvedere seems to cajole consumers into buying into this "real fruit" sell by selecting a word for their headlines that is unique -- and therefore memorable -- and that immediately conjures up an image of muddled fruit being broken down and soaking up vodka. It's really the perfect word for a flavoured liquor. "Macerate" also has the added plus of sounding like the word "masticate", which as we know means chewing food.

The only downside is that you still have the problem of the product being clear. Belvedere tried to circumvent this by putting an image of muddled fruit at the bottom of the bottle's label, which gets the point across, but again reminds us that there is not actually fruit in here. It would change the visual identity, but perhaps if they used an opaque or black bottle it would not be so noticeable.

SNOWMAN

Shrigley, David. Non-conformist Snowman. c. 2006

Smiling? The deeper the schema -- in this case our heavily ingrained image of wintertime since childhood -- the more we appreciate violating said schema.